In the Space of a Moment
by S.J. Kohl
Summary: They weren’t expecting everything to change. But it did. In the space of a moment. Co-written with Phoenix Dayze. AngealxZack.
1. Part One: Blue

In the Space of a Moment  
Part One: Blue  
By Phoenix Dayze and S.J. Kohl

Angeal/Zack  
PG-13  
Summary: They weren't expecting everything to change. But it did. In the space of a moment.  
Disclaimer: Not ours. 

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It was his eyes, Angeal decided. They were too blue. So blue the looked purple. Or gray. Everything but what they should look. No one's eyes should be that…_alive_…

He shook his head, dark hair swaying about his shoulders, and continued to drift the soft, cotton cloth over the metal of his sword. That was all that mattered. The sword. The legacy. The way the cloth whispered, _carressed_, over the gleaming steel. Steel and silver and gleaming light. _Not_ blue. Blue didn't matter. All that mattered was the way the blade fit in his hands, and the way it sang to him when he moved. No amount of blue eyes could…

"Hey, Angeal!"

Angeal glanced up, despite himself, in time to catch the too friendly wave. And eyes shining and full of smiles. _Damn it!_ He gave a noncommittal grunt in Zack's direction, and made to go back to his work. He would _not_ look at the kid. In fact, he was pretty sure he despised him.

"What'cha doin'?"

An innocent question, but the answer was fairly obvious, so Angeal didn't feel inclined to bother. _Just focus on the blade. The edge. The steel…_

"Can I try?"

Angeal blinked, frozen by the unexpected words, hands poised along the sword.

"I promise I won't break it."

Angeal tapped his fingers along the blade for a long moment as Zack settled on the corner bench just to his right, then sighed. He tried to focus on Zack's hands, or at least his chin. Anything but the blue. He extended the sword one-handed, balancing it easily. "Only briefly."

Zack's mouth pulled up into a grin, and he reached for the sword with more gentleness and finesse than Angeal had ever seen him bear. He watched as Zack pulled it across his knees, and keeping it supported with one hand, took up the cloth and began rubbing. Soft. Like the wind. Like a prayer.

Then, in a catalyst of impossibility, Zack started singing. His tenor low and steady, his head bouncing to the beat only he could hear.

"_Blue, is the ocean in your eyes. Blue is cool September skies. As a lonely waterfall. Angel, heaven starts here tonight in your arms. While I drown in your body, get lost in your charms. All I want is your touch. All I want is your heaven right here by my side, every night …_

Angeal dropped his head down into his hands and growled deep in his throat. "Could you stop that please?"

Zack paused and looked up. "What? Don't like the song?"

"Not really."

A brief nod, then, "_Blue moon. You saw me standing alone. Without a dream in my heart. Without a love of my own…_

Yep. Angeal really, _really_ hated blue.


	2. Part Two: Rain

Part Two: Rain  
Angeal/Zack

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Zack laughed and stripped off his sweater, tossing it to the side and just grinning when it landed in a nearby puddle with a dull splash. He tipped his head back and closed his eyes, spinning around, arms wide and mouth open, catching the rain as it cascaded down over him with a refreshing chill.

Finally he fell, flat on his back in the churned up mud of the practice field. He opened his eyes and stared up at the black clouds roiling low overhead. It didn't look like the rain was going to stop any time soon.

Zack snapped his eyes shut and laughed again.

"You miss practice to play in the rain?"

Zack's grin turned sheepish, but he didn't open his eyes. Maybe if couldn't see Angeal (who could mistake that voice, really?), Angeal wouldn't really be there. Catching him red handed, apparently. Zack bit his lip. "Beautiful day isn't it?"

Angeal only grunted and nudged Zack's hip with the toe of his boot.

Surrendering to reality, Zack opened his eyes, and there, sure as Odin's Balls, was Angeal. Standing over him and staring down with that same impenetrable look he always had when he looked at Zack. Zack shivered. It was a bit cold out here, now he had time to think about it. "I, uh…am I really late?"

Angeal's glare was stern. "Would I be out here in this muck if you weren't?"

"Oh. Um...I didn't mean to be. Well, not _this _time anyway. I just…get a little carried away in the rain is all."

Angeal stared.

Zack sat up and rubbed his hands over his arms. He pulled himself to his feet, conscious for the first time of the fact that he was half-naked. And dripping water. And…well, chilled. And Angeal was out here, soaking wet with his hair plastered to his head, and he'd always said he _hated _the rain. A trickle of guilt worked its way into Zack's rainstorm euphoria. He grinned. "I guess we should go, huh? Get a head start on whatever torture you're gonna shove down my throat for being late."

Angeal crossed his arms over his chest. "Why do you like the rain so much?"

Zack couldn't help it. He stretched his arms out just a little, and leaned his head back again, letting the drops wash down over his cheeks. Cold, prickling. Stinging. He opened his eyes and looked at Angeal. "It's beautiful."

"Beautiful? This mess?"

Zack nodded, a peaceful smile stealing softly over his lips. "Yeah. I've never seen anything like it. We don't get rain like this in Gongaga. Just soft showers…or no rain at all."

"It's cold."

Zack cocked his head to the side. "Yeah, but…" Zack sighed. There just…wasn't any way to _explain._ "Okay, look." He moved fast, spun around to stand behind Angeal and reached out, allowing the palms of his hands to just brush the backs of Angeal's. "Close your eyes."

Angeal grunted. "Insolent pup."

Zack just grinned; he had the feeling Angeal _had _closed his eyes, whatever he might say. He pressed up, gently guiding Angeal's arms up, out, spread wide like wings against clouds that rumbled thunder overhead. "Now," Zack breathed, his air coming out in white puffs that whispered against Angeal's powerful shoulder blades. His heart was beating fast, his blood pounding in his veins. "Lean back. And just…let it fall. It's amazing." Zack grinned, teeth flashing in the gray afternoon. "Just the sound of it. It takes everything away. Sunny days are bright and cheery, yeah, but…they don't do this. Clear it away like that. You just listen to it and it's all you can hear. Everything else just falls away."

Angeal leaned his head back, far back, and Zack sighed as the fabric of his sweater, and the muscles underneath, brushed against Zack's chest. It was good to be close to people, close to Angeal. To feel connected. Zack closed his eyes again, but this time he leaned forward, letting the heat rising off Angeal's body steal over him.

Then Angeal moved, grunted. Turned around. He jerked his head at Zack. "Come on."

Zack blinked, dazed. He shook his head. "Yeah. Practice. Right." He followed after Angeal, barely remembering to snatch up his sweater from the ground as they passed it.

Angeal stopped, and Zack smacked straight into his back, bouncing back a little as Angeal looked at him over one broad shoulder. "We should try this again sometime. Maybe next time it rains."

Zack just grinned, his eyes sparkling. He'd always known Angeal couldn't _really _hate the rain.


	3. Part Three: Sky

Part Three: Sky  
Angeal/Zack 

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"I need your help." 

Angeal looked at Zack. "What?"

"I need your help," he repeated, slower this time.

"Yes, Zack," Angeal glared, pulling his sweater down over his head and reaching down toward the bench to grab one of his belts. "Unbelievable as it may seem to you, I did get that part. What I meant was, what stupid thing do you need my help with now?"

Zack's mouth opened, closed again. His customary grin fell down into a dark scowl. "He's _not _stupid."

Angeal's ears pricked up. _He? _Since when did Zack acquire a _he_? "Hngh," Angeal cleared his throat and laced the belt through his bottom loops before reaching for the second one. "Put your clothes on, Zack. I don't need to see everything you've got all the time. Leave that armor off though." Angeal shook his head. "Nasty scratch I put on the right spauldron. Needs to be mended."

Zack nodded and grabbed his pants, shoving his feet into them and jerking them up roughly. He zipped and buttoned them before yanking his sweater down over his head and shaking his wet hair back into place. He'd really needed that shower after finishing up practice with Angeal. They both had. "So," he said, "You gonna help me?"

Angeal sat down on the bench and pulled on his left sock, his left boot. He leaned down and tugged at the laces. "Don't know. What do you want?"

Zack shrugged. "It's just…there's this kid…"

Angeal finished lacing his left boot and tugged the right one onto his foot. "Uh huh."

"Yeah. He wants to try for Soldier. And he's really good, don't get me wrong! It's just that…that…"

Angeal sat back on the bench and stared at Zack, who was fiddling idly with the buckle of his top belt. "That what?"

"I don't know, Angeal," Zack sighed. "He's so nervous. He's got zero confidence in himself, and he's terrified of _everything_!"

Angeal cocked an eyebrow at that, keenly interested. Zack had never shown any fear of anything in all the time Angeal had known him (generally to his own detriment), and he'd never really seemed to have patience with anyone who _was _afraid. Angeal grunted. "And you think he'd make a good Soldier?"

"Well," Zack bit his lip. "Yeah. I do. He's _good, _Angeal. Really good. He's got nerve and talent and potential. It just feels like he's been, I don't know…knocked down all his life or something. He told me…" Zack laughed, an angry laugh Angeal had never heard before. "He told me he's afraid of the open sky. What could do that, Angeal? Make someone afraid like that? I mean…the sky…"

Angeal frowned. The kid didn't sound like much. But he'd never known Zack to take an interest in someone like this. Zack was the kind of guy who was friends with everyone and close to no one in particular. Everyone loved him, but no one really knew him. And no one even realized it. Angeal studied the determined, protective look on Zack's face. Zack was serious about this. For whatever reason, he really wanted to help this kid. Angeal almost laughed. His student was trying to pick up a student. He couldn't help but be a little bit jealous, a little possessive in his own right. "All right," Angeal said, rubbing a towel through his hair one last time before tossing it at Zack. "I'll help."

"I mean, he's just a…just a…" Zack looked up, catching the towel by reflex alone. He blinked. Grinned. "You will?"

"Yeah. You want to train him up, right?"

"Yeah. This is…this is great, Angeal!" Zack dropped the towel and launched himself at Angeal, arms spread wide.

Angeal shoved him back with a fist to the chest. "Don't get excited, pup. Just bring him by my office tomorrow afternoon."

Zack grinned sheepishly. "Yeah," he said. "Okay." He gathered up the rest of his belongings and bolted for the locker room door, not even bothering to put his boots on his feet. "Thanks, Angeal! I've got to go tell him!"

Angeal shook his head as the locker room door slammed shut behind Zack. He couldn't help but wonder what exactly he'd just gotten himself into.


End file.
